Press feeding



July 19, 1927;

P. W. LARSSON ET AL PRESS FEEDING Filed Jan. 5, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 19, 1927.

P. w. LARssoN ET AL PRESS FEEDING A Filed Jan. 5, 1925 Patented Julyl 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES yPATEISJT OFFICE.

PATRIK WALDEMAR LARSSON AND OSKAR EDIIN FORSBERGQOF GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN, ASSIGNORS T AKTIEBOLAGET PRINCEPS, 0F GOTTENBORG, SWEDEN, A

CORPORATION OF SWEDEN.

PRESS FEEDING.

Application led Januaryv 5, 1925, Serial No. 477, and in'Sweden J'uly 7 1924.

haveto be impressed upon the same sheet` and for this purpose has to pass through the printing operation more than once. The

front registering generally becomes satisfactory in a press with automatic feed, whereas the lateral adjustment of the sheets before these are caught by the grippers often times is less exact although the sheets be taken from an originally evenly made up ile. p TheV characteristic feature of this Vinvention is that a suction-foot in communication with a suction apparatus is suspended above the sheet to be fed into the printing press and so arranged asto be` lowered down to and moved along the surface of the sheet and thus force the same laterally against a stationary rule or square on the feeding table before the sheet is seized by the gripper.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the force of the sucking power of the suction-foot to avoid wrinkling the sheet against the stationary rule. v

In the accompanying drawings: y Figure 1 shows a front View of the lateral 353 alignment device; l Y

Figs. 2 and 3 show the suction-foot mechanism in front and side views, partly in seetion;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the entire magazine and feed mechanism with one side standard removed;

Fig. 5 is a front view of part of the feed table;

Fig. 6 is a similar View of the feed ruler and suction pipe, with the lateral adjustment omitted for clearness;

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are side elevations of the transmission for feeding up the pile of sheets.

. lected for illustration, guide bar 1 is fixedly mountedon the magazine so that itzis held in a substantially constant position relative to the Sheet that is to be fed., ,A lever 2 is ro In the embodiment of the invention se tatablymounted at one end of the bar 1 and 1s provided with a roller 3 at one end and connected `in the other end to a sliding bar 6 by means of a link y5. Theroller 3 is adapted to periodically engage a cam surl:lce 4.v The bar 6`slidcs in guides 7 fixed to e the j ar 6 is performed with the aid of a spring 32 Xed between the bars 1 and 6. By this means the roller 3 is held against the cam 4 and bound to follow its curved or inclined surface. A carrier 8 is adjustably mounted on the sliding bar 6 and can be fixed in place by means of a set screw12. The carrier 8 accommodates the shaft of asuction-foot 9, which can be vertically moved downward in the carrier against the tension of a springV 10. The shaft of the suctionfoot is preferably surrounded by a sleeve 26 provided at thelower end with a collar 28` and at the top with a ring 11. The

spring 1() abuts against said ring and the carrier. In the carrier 8 a lever 13 is rotatably mounted on a pin and provided with a cam surface 14 on the upper edge and oblong holes at the free end to engage a pin 16 inthe sleeve 26. An adjustable support 17 is clamped by set screw 31 to the guide baiI 1, and carries a pivoted stop disc 18 on spin 27. The disc 18 is provided at its lower edge with a cam surface 19 of a suitable form and somounted in the path of the suction-footthat saidrcam surface engages the cam surface 14 when the sliding bar is moved towards the left in the drawing. As a pin 20 in the stop 17 prevents the disc 18 from swinging tothe left, the cam 19 exerts a pressure against the cam surface 14 during themovement of the suction-foot to the left, so that lthe lever 13 is depressed and turns around the pin 15to force the foot down to touch the paper sheet. Towards the end of the movement of ythe foot to the left the cam surface 14 is released as soon as it has passed the earn surface 19 and the foot is raised by the spring 10. During the returnv movcment of the bar 6 the cam 14 pushes the dise 18 away so `that the discswings around its pin upward and back again to its lower position ready for the next operation when the bar 6 makes another movement tothe left. -The shaft of the suction-foot is hollow and connected to a suction pipe- 21, and the suction-foot is provided with a number of per.

uide bar 1. The lreturn movement of forations Q2. The shaft of the suction-foot is threaded at the upper end and provided with nuts 29 by means o'f which vthe vertical position of the foot is adjusted. A spring is provided around the lower p'ar't of said shaft. By this means the suction foot becomes resilient when it is lowered by the sleeve 26 and touches the sheet of paper.

lVhen a sheet 33 on the table 34k is to be adjusted in its lateral position the suction toot is lirstlowered down vto the sheet an-d `the um 9 starts its sucking' actionthen the that they create a sucking in the suction pipesduring half a turn of the press. The :torceof said sucking can be controlled in a known manner by means of an adjusting screw on the pump and also by aclljusting)l the length of the stroke of the pump. However a more exact control is required for the purpose here set forth, especially in such cases where paper sheets of different thicknesses are to be printed. For a thick and yheavy paper a more powerful suckingis required and tor a thin and lieht paper a less powerful sucking. If a very thin sheet of paper is to be printed and for this purpose moved by the suctionw foot vclose up to the stationary rule without wrinklingthe paper we prefer to opper-atey the device in such a way that the suction-foot when lowered down against the sheet of paper 33 to be printed attains such a position at the edge of the sheet that some of the perforations come outside of said edge leaving,T said perforations uncovered to allow the air to pass therethrough and thus lower the suction power of the foot, see Fig. 2.

However a satisfactory control can be performed also in the following` manner. After setting' the'snction foot on thev bar 6 so that it will touch a spot on the sheet 33 that. is close to the edge of the sheet the press is started as well as the sucking` action and 'the foot is moved along` the surface of the sheet to *ardS the edge and over said edge, which successively uncovers one hole Q2 (or row of holes) after the other during the continued movement of the foot. The suckingT action ceases and the foot isl raised. During said movementalong the sheet the sucking power decreases successively when the sheet Vis moved to ards the stationary rule.V

As described, the suction-foot vcan be fixed in any desired position on the sliding bar 6 and is preferably Vso located that the foot when lowered down vagainst the sheet comes upon or closely to that edgev of the sheet which is nearest to the rule 23, said rule being split so as to allow the foot to pass 4tl'ierethrougli as shown in Fig. 3.

'Vhen more than one sheet is to be printed sii'nultaneously in the same press and several piles of sheets tihc'reforc are 'placed on "the feed table, a corrcspomling number of suction-feet hay-e Ito be provided on the sliding bar '6 as well s stops l? on the a' ido bar l.

Vhen using two piles of sheets on the tables 34, 34 simultaneously the sliding bail is preferably divided in two bars 6, 6 arranged to` inove -in Opposite directions, so that the suction-foot 9 is moved to 'the ri A ijht against the rule 23. VThe two bars 6, 6 are linked together by means of two links Q4 and the two-armed lever 25, which is rotatably fixed to the guide bar l. The bar 6 Ais carried by guides 7 and the suction-foot A9 is operated by a. stop 17. If now only one pile of sheets is used, one of the ilcet- 7, 7 can be pnt out of operation by turning' the correspond'inpr stop-disc 18 or 18 upwards, scc Fig'. l, in which position lthe (liso is held by the pin 20 in the stop 1T. By this arrangement the parts vare saved from wear.

In installing the device shown in the Figs. l, 2, and 3, the cam et is fixed to the frame of the press and the pins are fixed to the magazine 36, which is carried oy arms 3T dependingT from shaft means 3S. The lateral feeding device is shown in Fig. when the suction-foot 9 is just ready to return to its upper position. The shaft 38 is carried by an arm 39, which is swingalily mounted on a shaft 40 fixed between two uprights ll in the machine frame 46. The free end `of the arm 39 carries a roller 48 actuated by a cam 42, which is fixed to a shaft 44 in the 1nachine frame. rthe shafts 38, 46 and as well as a shaft extend between the two uprights 41. and the magazine 36 with its tables 34, 311- is located between the saine uprights,

The magazine 36 consists of two anglle pieces 47, each one fixed to one arm 37 and to a con'nnon backpiecc 4:8, which is machined so as to afford an even surface for the back edge of the tables 3l, --l, when they more in relation to the magazine. The lower end ofthe back piece t8 is provided at either side with bearimgplates 49 c 'i-actiir.fi` with rollers 50 carried by brackets 5l on the frame i6. rl`he rollers 50 are so positioned that. the point of gravity of the magazine with lhe arms 47, tables Elland other acccssm'izs is located between vertical planes through the shaft 38 and the plates' 49. or at least to the leftl of a vertical plane through the shaft 38. Thus the magazine always bears against the rollers 50. i

Each one of the angle pieces e117 carri. two ears 52 through which a long rod can be moved up and down. The rod carries a table 34 by means of a l rachet and is suspended by means of a rack har ti t) engaging the toothed shaft 38. The table 34 can thus be raised and lowered by turning the shaft 38 and this can be ei'ected without interfering with the raising and lowering of the magazine 36 by means of the bars 37. However, as both the arms 37 and the bars are carried by the shaft 38, they will move with said-shaft interniittent ly during the periodical rocking movementof the cam The reason for raising the table in the magazine is to always obtain the same level for the top sheet whether the pile of sheets be large or small so that thetop sheet conveniently can be seized and held by the suction pipe 56. To cushion the motion to the table, itis provided with a centre pin adapb ed to slide in the bracket 54 and with a helical spring 57 arranged between the table and the bracket, to carry the weight of the table. The upward movement of the table in the bracket is limited by a washer provided at the lower end of the pin.

Fig. 4 shows the location of the parts when the magazine is raised to its upper position. ln this position the suction pipe 56 attracts the top sheet 33 and holds it until the magazine has been low-ered .and the sheet seized by the gripper as well known in the art.

A bar 58 is fixed to the magazine by means of brackets 59 and carries the stationary rules 23 which can be setin any desired position by the screw handle 60. The

rules 23 extend-through slots in the tables 34.

The sheets are withdrawn from the pile one by one, thereby lowering the height of the pile successively. This lowering has to be compensated in order to get the top sheet properly located under the suction pipe. v56 each time a new sheet has to be seized. The device used forsaid compensation is illusr `trated in Figs. 4, 7, 8, and 9, in which the parts are shown in different positions to show the action.

The ratchet wheel 6l is fixed to the shaft- 38 and driven by pawl 62, which is rotatably mounted on an iarm 78 fixed to the shaft 45. A catch 63 stops the backward movement of the `atchet wheel. A rocking moven'ieiit is imparted to the shaft 45 at each revolution of the press by means of a three armed lever fixed to the shaft with one arm and operated by another arm by a cam 65 fixed to the shaft 44 and (zo-acting with the roller 66 on said other arm of the lever64. The third arm is provided with a roller 67 eo-acting with one arm of a two armed lever 68, which is [ined to a. pin 69 rotatable in the upright 41. A hook 70 is fixed to the pin 69 and co-acts .with a tail 71Y on the pawl 62. The second arm of the lever 68 is linked to a rod 72 carrying a feel ruler 73 and a pivoted pick 74, which latter cO-aets with a boss on a bracket 76 fixed on the upright 41. The red 72 is guided by the bracket 76 at its lowerend. A spring 77 betweenA the rod 72 and thebracket 76 tends to press the lever 68 against the roller 67.

The action of the pa-wl 62 will now be described.` However, that two .tables 34, 34, in one magazine are n'iountedbetween the two ul'nighlfaiand carried by twoA arms 37 and two rack bars 55, but that only one cam 65, one cam 42, one arm 39 and one llever 64 are necessary for the machine. All these parts are mounted .between the uprights 4l. Outside the frame or uprights there are 'located the ratchet `wheels 61 with ratchets 63 and pawls 62,also

the hooks 70. Bars 72 with levers 63 and feel rulers 73, picks 74 and brackets 76 are provided for each table 34, 34 and are mounted inside the uprights. In order to raise the tables 34, 34 successively and independently of each other, the shaft 33 is divided into two parts and provided with a coupling in case the tables are to be operated simultaneously. which occurs when' only one pile of large sheets occupies the surfaceof the two tables. On one yend of the shaft 40 the Yarm 39 is formed as shown in Fig. 4, on the opposite end the horizontal portion carrying roller 66 is omitted.

The pawl 62 cantake two positions in relation to thearm carrying it by means of a suitable yielding stop 82, one position as shown in the Figs. 4, 7 and 8, another one as shown in F ig.`9. Thefeel ruler 73 Arests onthe uppermost sheet in the pile of paper 33 when the magazine 36 is raised. Then the magazine is lowered again the feel ruler 73 rests on one of the arms of the pick 74. The weight and position of the pick 74 is such that the feel ruler 73 can overcome the weight and swing the pick with its notch 79 to one side of the boss 75, as shown in the Figs. 8 and 9. When the feel ruler 73 has been lifted by the paper pile so much that it leaves the protruding arm o f the stop 74 the stop swings inwardly over the. boss 75, but when the height of the paper pile is so small that the feel rulei.` does not leave the stop 74, thenotch 79 remains beside the boss 75.

Suppose that the pileVK is high enough to allow the suction pipe 56 to attract the uppermost sheet and no feeding of the wheel 6l is necessary, then the parts will take the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 7. In Fig. 4 the notch 79 rests on the boss 75 and the lever 64 is raised to its upperi'nost position without producing any rotation of Shaft 33. In Fig. 7 the lever 64 has reached its .lowermost position and the roller 67 has pressed the surface 80 of the lever 68 downwardly `it might be recalled loo and raised the rod72 with the notch 79 some.-

the left, but as soon as the pile is too small then the feel ruler 7 3 takes a lower position and moves the notch 79 outside the boss 75 so that the pick takes the position. shown in Fig'. 8 and the spring- 77 lowers lthe rod 72 thereby tiiirning` the pin G9 and swinging the hoolr 7 0 to the lett. rlhe hook thereby engages 'the tail 7l el' the pawl 62. The lever (Si now continues its upward motion,

the heel: 70 is maintained in its position and the. pawi is turned to engage the 'ratchet wheel. (il as shown in Fig. 9 and feed same duringl tl c further upward movement of the lever till. 0n the return movement ot the lever (il, the tail 7l passes the hooi; 7 O but abuts against a projection 8l on the hoo-k so that said projection during` the further downward movement of the lever G4! swings the pawl back to the position shown in Fig. 7. 'lhis action is repeated and the table 34 moved upwiudly by the lteed et the wheel Gl until the pile ot paper has atta-ined such height `in 'the magazine that the feel ruler 73 does not swing' the piel; any more.

ils seen in Fig. 4l, the roller does notengage the lever 68, thereby allowing the notch 79 to rest upon the boss 75. In Fig. 7 the lever 64- has attained its lower position and the roller G7 has pressed the a'r'm 68 somewhat downwardly thereby raising the notch 79 t'rom the bess 7 5. This releases the pick so that the teel ruler can swing it.

lt should be noticed that cam 65 registers with the outer well ot cam 42, so that the `feedingY of the tables 3st, 34', i. e., the opere tien ot the ratchet wheel G1 by the pawl 62, takes place only when the magazine has been raised by the cam l2 te its upper position.

lithout Ytmther elaboration, the foregoing will so tally explain the gist of our invention that others may, by applying current lrnowledp'e, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions ot service, without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items otnoveltv involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to us by the tollowingv claims.

lWe claim 2- l. ln automatic feeding apparatus for printine; presses, a device lor the lateral registering; oit the sheets consisting` of a suction-toet in communication with a suction apparatus and mounted in a carrier on a longitudinally movable sliding bar adapted to be reciprocated by means operated troni the drivingmechanism et the press, a stop arranged in the path et' the suctionloot so as to move same inthe carrier transversclxv to the bar., and stationary rule at one end ot the sheet.

ln automatic feeding apparatus for printing; presses a device for the att-ral registering el the sheets consisting of a suetion-toot in communication with a suction ige se', rse

apparatus, a carrier surrounding the shaft ot said suction-'toot and adjustably mounted o'n a longitudinally movable sliding bar, means to reciprocate said slidingl bar, guides tor the sliding' bar lined to a guide bar mounted in a substantially lixed relation to the surface ot the .sheet to be lied, a stop adjiistalfily mounted on the guide bar 1n :the path et 'the suclimi-'toot, a spring operating the suction-toot against the pressure from the` slop, and a stationary rule at one of the sheet.

3. In automatic feeding apparatus for printing presses `a device tor the lateral reg isterin` ot the sheets consistiiig ot a guide vbar mounted in a sub-itam'ially lined relation to the surface oit the sheet lo be lied, guides livel to said guide bar, a lmipgitudinally movable sliding' bar in said guides 'adapted to be yreciprocated by means operated l'rom the driving mechanism ot the press, a carrier adjustal'ily mounted on said sliding bar, a suction-toot with a sha'lit adapted to slide in said carrier, said shalt being hollow Vand connnunicating with a vsuction apparatus, a lever rotatably mounted around a pinin said carrier and provided with a cam and an oblong hole to accommodate a pin in the said shaft et the suction-toot, a pivoted stop adjustably mounted on said guide bar in the path ot the suction-toot when the sliding bar is reciprecatingly moved, means for reciprocating' the sliding bar, and a spring operating the suction-toot against the pressure 'from the stop when the suction-toot is being` moved in one direction against a stationary rule at one end ot the sheet, the stop being so arranged that it swings around its pivot without operating the suction-foot when same is moved in the opposite direction.

et. In automatic feeding apparatus for printingjr presses, a device for the lateral registering oit the sheets consistingY of a guide bar mounted in a sulfistantially lixed relation to the surface ofthe sheet to be ted, guides fixed to said guide bar, two longitudinally movable sliding' bars in said guides adapted to he reciprocated in opposite directions to each other by means operated 'from the drivingl mechanism et' the press, a carrier adjustably mounted on each ot said slidingr bars, each one o'lI said carriers surroundingir the shaft ot a suction-loot, said shatt hein;r hollow and in communication with a suction apparatus and being adapted to move up and down transversely to said slidingV bar, a stop arranged in the path ot each ot' the suction lieetso as to periodically move the ieet vertically against the sheets to be ted each time the feet pass said stops in one direction against a stationary rule at one end ot the sheet, the stops being pivoted so as to swingoutof the way when the feet 'move in the opposite direction.

5. In combination in automatic feeding apparatus .for printing presses, a support for a pile of sheets, a suction member associated therewith, a gauge element, means for lower- `ing the suction member into engagement with the surface of lthe top sheet of the pile and for then moving it toward the gauge element to force said top sheet laterally against the said gauge element, and means for varying the suction exerted on the top sheet by the suction member to prevent wrinkling of the sheet. f

(i. In combination in automatic feeding apparatus for printing presses, a support f for a pile of sheets, a. suction member having air inlets associated therewith, a gauge element, and means for moving the suction member into contact with the top sheet of `the pile with part of its inlets exposed over an edge of the pile and for moving said suction member to bring the said top sheet laterally against the said gauge element.

7. In combination in automatic feeding apparatus for printing presses, a support for a pile of sheets, a suction member, al gauge element, and means for lowering the suction member into contact" with the top sheet of the pile, for moving said-suction member to bring the said top sheet laterally against the said gauge element, and for automatically relieving the suction applied to the Said top sheet by the member before the member is moved out of contact'therewith.'

i 8. In combination in automatic feeding apparatus for printing presses, a support for a pile of sheets, a suction member having air inlets associated therewith, a gauge element, and means for moving the suction member into contact with the top sheet of the pilewith part of its inlets exposed over an edge of the pile and for moving said suc tion member to bring the said top` sheet laterally against the said gauge element, said means automatically relieving the suction applied to the said top sheet bythe member before the member is moved out of contact therewith by moving said member further over the edge of the piler exposing more of the inlets thereof.

` 9. In combinatioirin automatic feeding apparatus for printing presses, a support having thereon a sheet of paper, a gauge lets associated therewith, means for moving the suction member into contact with the sheet of paper with part of the inlets ex'N posed over an edge of the sheet and for moving the sheet into register with the gauge, and means for adjusting the position of the suction member to vary the number of air inlets thereof exposed over the edge of the paper.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 10th day of December, 1924.

PATRIK VALDEMAR LARSSON-` OSKAR EDVIN FORSBERG..

therefor, a suction member having air in- 

